Once upon a time, Maladomini was the center of Baator's business and administration. The plane was full of bustling, vibrant cities. Intricate networks of roads connected these metropolises. Sprawling Gardens that match those on Mount Celestia covered the plane, making it a place frequently visited by devils because of its perfect weather and mortal guests, largely those invited to corrupt them with the "perfection"of Maladomini. Every diabolical document was stored in this plane and fortresses and constructions constantly continued to build on the plane. Maladomini was without a doubt the most successful plane of Baator for millennia. It's Arch-Duke, Baalzebub, was one of the most powerful Arch-Dukes of Baator and controlled both Malbolge and Maladomini. Unfortunately for himself, Baalzebub was too greedy. Slowly, the devil continued to modify important contracts that entered the archives of Maladomini to hurt the other Arch-Devils. Baalzebub especially modified documents that pertained to Asmodeus, hoping to cast the Arch-Devil as a incompetent failure in order to gain the support of the Arch-Dukes. Baalzebub forgot a crucial piece of information about life in Baator, however. He forgot that the Blood Wars were being waged. As Baalzebub prepared to attack Nessus, a massive force of demons attacked Avernus. Each Arch-Devil immediately sent their legions to destroy the attack. Baalzebub sent some of his troops as well, his smallest legion. He kept all of his shield legions in Maladomini, hoping to launch a vicious attack as soon as the demon attack was turned. Without the powerful shield legions of Maladomini, however, the devils were overwhelmed by the Abyss's vastly superior numbers. As the demons reached the gates of Dis, Baalzebub had no choice but to ride out with his shield legions to help turn the tides, recognizing that a destroyed Baator would be useless. With Baalzebub's troops, the army of the Abyss was pushed back, first to Avernus and then back into the Abyss. While Baator won, the losses they sustained were enormous. A furious Asmodeus immediately launched a massive investigation, which revealed Baalzebub's lack of response and his treachery. Furious at their losses, the Arch-Dukes of Baator demanded that Baalzebub submit himself for punishment. Baalzebub, too proud to submit defeat and believing he could match the strength of the other planes after such a harsh battle, refused. War broke out among the Devils of Baator. The other eight Arch-Dukes raised their armies and attacked Malbolge and Maladomini. The brunt of combat took place on Maladomini, the primary domain of Baalzebub. The terrible fighting destroyed all of the gardens and many of the buildings of the plane. The fighting continued for nearly a year, as Baalzebub was slowly pushed back to a final fortress from which he prepared with those of his loyal dukes who were still alive to make his final stand. The Arch-Duke was surprised however, when Asmodeus descended onto Maladomini. The Arch-Devil was displeased with the enormous loss of devils caused by the Blood War which was now exacerbated by Baalzebub's resistance. So, he offered Baalzebub a reprieve: single combat against a chosen champion of Asmodeus's own. If Baalzebub won, Asmodeus would give Baalzebub a third plane of Baator to lord over without consequence for his action. However, if the champion won, then Asmodeus would exact the punishment of his choosing. If Baalzebub refused, then Asmodeus promised to tear apart the plane until Baalzebub was nothing but a vacant memory. Baalzebub, intelligent being that he is, chose to fight the champion, expecting a pit fiend or at worst, a Duke of Nessus. When he arrived outside of his fortress, ready to fight the champion, he received a surprise. Asmodeus chose Mephistopheles, Arch-Duke of Cania to stand in combat as his champion. Baalzebub has long been a sworn enemy of Mephistopheles, and engaged the Lord of the Eighth in combat, believing that he, a Lord of two planes of Baator, could easily defeat a Lord of one plane. He was wrong. Mephistopheles demolished him with magics unknown to him. A year's worth of combat was finished within a matter of minutes. Asmodeus rewarded Mephistopheles for his services. Then, the Arch-Devil enacted his punishment. He could not deny Baalzebub's obvious power and prowess at corrupting souls. So, the Arch-Devil stripped away Baalzebub's control over Malbolge, placing Moloch, one of the Dukes of Malbolge, as the new Arch-Duke. Asmodeus allowed Baalzebub to keep control of Maladomini, but enacted two laws to keep Baalzebub loyal. The first law that Asmodeus created to control Baalzebub decreed that anytime Baalzebub lied to any other devil, the Arch-Duke would turn into a horrible slug-like creature, hideous to anyone who sees him. The law also included lies told prior to the law's enactment, condemning Baalzebub to make up for millennia of lies in the form of this ugly slug. The second law decreed that any deal made with Baalzebub will always result in misfortune and disaster for the other party. This law has caused all devils to fear forming alliances with Baalzebub, isolating him from his allies. Since the punishment, Baalzebub and Maladomini have become isolated wastelands. The decadent cities lay in ruins and the gardens have become deserts. The once crystal clear lakes and rivers run dry. The plane itself bleeds a black, tar-like ichor. Yet, Maladomini remains the place where all of the devils of Baator are trained to recall just enough of their mortal memories to interact with and seduce mortals. It is also the place where devils are trained in law and politics. Maladomini remains the storehouse of all documents on Baator.
The plane of Maladomini was the third plane of Baator to form, preceded only by Nessus and Cania until the Trial of Asmodeus, after which point the devils slowly increased the size of Baator to accommodate the massive number of souls entering Baator. As a result of its age, most mortals have known of Maladomini in some sense or the other as long as they have known the story of Baator. Baalzebub is a name well known to the mortals and his domain is famous among those who dwell on the Material Plane. The first detailed description of the plane came from Philogestes during his tour of the nine hells. By this point, the plane was reduced to rubble, and centuries had passed. Philogestes was told the story of the fall of Maladomini and shown what the plane appeared like by Asmodeus, however.
Malagard is the main city that still exists on the plane of Maladomini and is the city which was the final bastion of Baalzebub's rebellion. The city, once grand and imposing, now exists as a sinking ruin, falling apart more with each passing day. Baalzebub's devils occasionally work to rebuild the city, but like their master, many have given up on rebuilding the city to its former glory. Now devils in the city simply shuffle through the ruins, seemingly taking on personalities as destitute as the city itself. Visitors to the city can observe crumbling arches, rivers that run with muck and trash rather than waters, and landfills covering all of the city. The desolation of the city, and the black ichor that fills the plane, spreads an aura that drains all beings in the city of their vitality and drive. Spending too much time in the city can render even the most sturdy of adventurers into lazy and depressed mortals who simply sit around waiting for devils to come and capture them. The Palace of Filth is the central structure of Malagard. Once, it was the second most intricate and beautiful building in the Nine Hells, and one of the greatest structures to grace any plane. After Baalzebub's rebellion, the structure was condemned to be nothing more than a pile of dung and filth, reduced from its beauty by Mephistopheles's magic. The palace becomes even more disgusting when Baalzebub is in his slug-like form. It's rooms and corridors are carved by Baalzebub who makes them by tunneling through the structure. Instead of doors, magical barriers keep out those that Baalzebub does not want within the structure. Baalzebub must reinforce the rooms he creates, using slime. However, the action makes him sad and so he often forgets to perform his upkeep, causing the rooms to collapse, killing minions and burying treasures. The palace's "walls" are full of treasures lost that adventurers have tried to dig through to find. However, the slime and filth that makes up the palace make loud squelching noises when moved that constantly attract the devil guards protecting the palace. The Carnival Eternal lies at the bottom of the cliff upon which the Palace of Filth rests. A never-ending downpour of sludge rains on the vale from a sluice pipe of the palace. In this place, devils of Maladomini are rewarded for their work with unspeakably diabolical pleasures. Baalzebub rewards his devils a day in the Carnival for every 10 souls that they bring him. Devils who bring in 3 million souls at one time are rewarded with a millennia in the Carnival. The Carnival Eternal's highlight attraction is a strange hall of mirrors. Any devil that looks into the mirrors in this hall, after wiping away a layer of grime from the mirrors, will experience a vision of itself as an archdevil, ruling over one of the planes of Baator. The planes are never Maladomini, and usually Dis or Cania. The devil's all experience this ultimate fantasy as if it was completely real in the mirrors, making the hall of mirrors the favorite spot for devils at the Carnival. Mortals who look into the hall of mirrors do not experience the same pleasures. Instead, the mirrors cast the spell suggestion onto the mortals. Offalion is another city on Maladomini. Offalion was rebuilt after the Rebellion, and is a relatively stable city because of the purpose it serves. The devils of Baator have their memories erased upon transformation into lemures. However, they must recollect enough from their past lives in order to effectively seduce mortals and subvert the workings of good society. In order to remember just enough of their pasts, devils are sent to Offalion. The city undergoes frequent reconstructions to make it look like the specific societies that Baator's Arch-Devils are trying to subvert. As a result, it may resemble places on the Material Plane that adventurers may be familiar with. Here, simulations are constantly run to train devils. Each exercise has its own win conditions, and thousands of different simulations are done for each devil. Those devils who succeed enough times are sent to the Material Plane to use their newfound skills to seduce souls. Those who fail are demoted or held back in the plane to study further. Mortal visitors who are on Maladomini with permission of Asmodeus or Baalzebub are often recruited to act in these exercises as advisors or disruptive wild cards. The mortals are rewarded for their help, with either knowledge or gold. Grenpoli is the other major training site for devils who are working to seduce souls and turn entire populations to Baator. This city serves as the training ground for devils to learn politics. No weapons are allowed into Grenpoli. Any weapon to cross the border is teleported to a random location on the Material Plane. All offensive magic that can be used to hurt others does not work in the confines of Grenpoli. Erinyes patrol the city constantly to dispel any other magic used against others in the city. The city is run by an Erinyes named Mysdemn who punishes any rule breaking with her favorite punishment, death. Grenpoli teaches all devils the basics of intrigue and politics which are then tested with the simulations in Offalion. The nature of Grenpoli, however, forces devils to cease any pursuit of intruders however. Thus, Grenpoli serves as a safe-haven for intruders and is full of mortals who are attempting to avoid infernal pursuers. The outskirts of the city are full of devil enforcers hunting down these mortals. Inside the city, hordes of devils engage in intrigues meant to chase out the intruding mortals to the waiting enforcers. Grenpoli is also a safe site for devils to meet to settle differences without fear of ambush. The devils meet here to engage in negotiations regarding the soul trade, goods, intelligence, offers of employment, sales of minions, treaties, and division of territories on the Material Plane.
Every kind of devil can be found in Maladomini because all devils come to the plane to be trained. However, the most common kinds are Amnizus, Paerilyons, Erinyes, and Bearded Devils. In additions to devils, oozes and jellies grow from the much of Maladomini as well. Mortals are abundant in the city of Grenpoli. Baalzebub is the master of Maladomini, and the seventh most powerful Arch-Devil in Baator. He is known in the Material Plane as the Lord of Flies, Lord of Lies, and the Fallen One. Baalzebub did not arrive in Baator at the same time as most of the ancient devils. Instead, he was once a beautiful archon named Triel, one of the most powerful in Celestia. However, Triel became obsessed with physical perfection and his love of his own appearance corrupted him. Some myths say that Asmodeus himself planted the seeds of the corruption with a poisonous flower in Celestia, but the myth has not been proven. Regardless, Triel fell. He woke one day with the appearance of a fly, with skin like obsidian and red compound eyes. The bloated, pus-covered form became a new devil named Baalzebub. The devil's new form also came with a massive increase in strength, and quickly the devil became an Arch-Duke of Maladomini, displacing the previous Arch-Duke who had supported Asmodeus since prior to the Pact Primeval, which made Baalzebub a fast enemy to many devils who supported the previous Arch-Duke. After his rebellion, Baalzebub was devastated. The devil spent millennia attempting to work away his previous lies to return to the fly form rather than the slug-like form Asmodeus cursed him with. The Arch-Duke is a prideful devil and conducts himself in a calm way, though his slug-like form forces him to speak with a heavy lisp. The devil avoids lying to other devils so he can avoid prolonging the time he must spend in the slug form. Baalzebub works constantly now to regain his previous form, the one of Triel, and to destroy his political opponents in Baator. Baalzebub loves to seduce the souls of mortals seeking some kind of redemption. To these desperate mortals, Baalzebub offers unnatural means of regaining reputations or lost treasures. However, without exception, the devil places clauses in the contract which extradite him from having to fulfill his end completely while still netting a soul for himself. These souls are often wretches which serve only as devils to die repeatedly on the front lines to slow the Abyssal advance. Lilith is the consort of Baalzebub, and is the replacement of the first consort who died during the rebellion. Lilith resembles a red skinned human with short curved horns on the top of her head and hooves instead of feet. Lilith is never clothed, but she covers herself in a strange cloak of darkness. Originally, Lilith was the consort of the devil Moloch, who was the ruler of Malbolge under Baalzebub's direction. She shared her lover with a hag named Malgarde, who convinced Moloch to attack Asmodeus. When Moloch was banished after his rebellion failed, and Malgarde was made the Arch-Duchess of Malbolge, the Hag Countess attempted to have her rival destroyed. Lilith went to Baalzebub who took her as his own consort to keep her safe from the Arch-Duchess of Malbolge. Lilith is the patron of many witches, which creates a steady stream of souls for Baalzebub which makes her a valuable asset for him. However, Lilith grows annoyed and repulsed by the gross form of Baalzebub and is constantly looking for a way to supplant the Arch-Duke. Mysdemn is the Erinyes who controls the city of Grenpoli. The devil is a loyal servant of Baalzebub and is tasked with keeping weapons and magic from the city of Grenpoli. She is also in charge of training all devils in politics and intrigue. Mysdemn herself is a master of politics, and is constantly looking for a way to supplant Lilith as Baalzebub's consort. The devil wants power and a stronger political position and so she flirts with any Arch-Devil that she can.
The greatest mysteries of Maladomini all reside in the Palace of Filth. Baalzebub's treasure rooms are frequently forgotten by the Arch-Devil. These rooms collapse as a result, resulting in many of the treasures being lost forever. Adventurers who could sift through the dung without alerting the patrolling guards could easily find treasures beyond their wildest imaginations.
The politics within Maladomini are like the politics of any other plane of Baator. Each devil tries to usurp the devil above it and to prevent those below it from undermining them. However, the politics of Maladomini on the larger scale of Baator are more intricate. Baalzebub has enemies in Baator. He despises Mephistopheles more than any other devil. The two devils have hated each other since Baalzebub was made an Arch-Duke because Mephistopheles dismissed the newer devil. His hatred was only deepened by the crushing defeat he suffered at the hands of the Arch-Duke of Cania during his rebellion. Baalzebub spends much of his time attempting to find a way to embarrass Mephistopheles and to have him turned into a creature even more grotesque than himself, or destroyed. Dispater is another devil that Baalzebub hates. Like Mephistopheles, Dispater simply dismissed Baalzebub as a newcomer. Recently, Dispater has made attempts to mend the relationship between the two. Baalzebub has accepted the friendship on a surface level, but does not trust the other. Baalzebub works to destroy Dispater as well, in hopes of taking over the plane of Dis for himself. He finds having a new "ally" in Dispater useful however, and so works slowly to conquer Dis. Baalzebub's greatest ally is Levistus, who also suffers from a punishment for rebelling against Asmodeus. The two often conspire together and work together with the hopes that they will both be able to toss aside Asmodeus and take Baator for their own. Neither wishes to acknowledge, however, the battle that will take place between the two for the position of Arch-Devil of Baator. Baalzebub has also attempted to ally Maladomini and Malbolge once more to take advantage of Glasya's rebellious streak. He hopes to use Asmodeus's daughter to take over Baator and gain insight into the Arch-Devil's weaknesses.
Surviving Maladomini requires awareness and some preparation from adventurers who intrude without permission. Those who sneak into Maladomini must lie low to avoid the constantly searching patrols of devils who hunt mortals. The smartest decision for such mortals would be to create a base of operations in or near Grenpoli, where devils cannot chase them. From this point, a sneaky party of adventurers could travel through Maladomini to Offalion or Malagard, which are not so far. In addition, many devils of Maladomini will trade information which can help them pass the trials of Offalion or information about a settlement they wish to corrupt in exchange for being "overlooked" by the devils. The most valuable thing that any invader of Maladomini can have, however, is information about Mephistopheles. Any information that embarrasses or undermines the Lord of the Eighth Plane will easily earn clemency from Baalzebub and a horde of treasure.
